I Have Friends in Holy Spaces
by schnazzleberry
Summary: Ludwig has a strange dream one night. He thinks nothing of it at first, but seemingly normal, everyday incidents with Feliciano keep bringing it back into his mind. Was it really a dream? Or was it a memory?    Based on the song by Panic At The Disco.
1. The Dream

_You remind me of a former love that I once knew..._

Ludwig was in the middle of a strange dream. he seemed to be looking through the eyes of a child; someone small. He was outside, on a green hill somewhere. As he scanned the area, he saw someone standing off in the distance. As he walked closer to the figure, he saw that it was a little girl in a green dress with her back turned to him. She appeared to be a maid, as evident by her white apron and bandanna in her hair. Ludwig suddenly experienced a somehow familiar feeling of happiness and excitement upon finding this girl and couldn't stop the smile that crept up on his face.

Just as the little girl was about to turn around and reveal her identity, Ludwig awoke to a smiling Feliciano still sleeping next to him. Instead of having his usual outburst at the clingy Italian, Ludwig simply wrapped his arms around the slender frame and continued to let him rest.

He couldn't quite explain why, but he felt like his dream hadn't quite ended yet and and he couldn't stop a smile from creeping onto his face as he dozed off once again to continue it.

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><p><strong><em>I have decided to start a little miniseries of GerIta fics based on some song lyrics. I was listening to the song "I have Friends in Holy Spaces" by Panic At The Disco the other day and I started thinking of little situations that Germany and Italy would have together. I'm not sure just how many stories will come out of this, but I hope you enjoy them nonetheless!<em>**


	2. The Pancakes

_And you carry [little peace/a little piece] with you..._

Ludwig was awoken once again by a loud crash in his kitchen followed by a familiar "Kesese!" He just wanted to roll over, cover his head with a pillow, and ignore the whole situation until a childish "~Vee!" carried its way to his ears.

Reluctantly, he pulled himself out of bed and trudged downstairs into the kitchen.

"~Vee, Doitsu! You're awake!" an aproned Feliciano greeted him. "Your brother was just helping me make you some breakfast!" Ludwig looked around the kitchen with still-groggy eyes at the floury mess that surrounded him. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he let out a small sigh of frustration.

"Hey, chillax bro!" Gilbert spoke up as he patted his brother on the back, leaving a large white handprint on his black t-shirt. "Ita-chan and I will clean it all up! Besides, you've got to try the potato pancakes. They're especially awesome since I helped make 'em." Gilbo left out the detail that the extent of his "help" was cracking a couple of eggs into a bowl while Feliciano mixed and cooked the rest of the ingredients.

Feli recognized Ludwigs familiar exasperated eye-twitch almost immediately. "Ve, I'll start cleaning right now, Doitsu! I'm sorry for the mess!" He ran to the closet, pulled out an old pushbroom, and began sweeping up the spilled flour on the floor.

Ludwig looked up and suddenly got a strange sense of déjà vu as he saw the small Italian with the apron cleaning the floor while murmuring some quiet "~Ve"s. For some reason, he thought of the dream he'd had the night before.

"Wait, Italia," he pulled the broom away, leaned it against the counter, and placed his hands on Feliciano's shoulders. "You can clean up later. Those pancakes smell delicious."

Feliciano's worried face immediately lit up. "~Veee, I'm so glad you think so, Doitsu!" he shouted after engulfing the German in a bear hug. "I'll go get you some right now!" He ran to grab a plate for his friend.

Ludwig found himself blushing as he realized his brother was still in the room staring right at him.

"Kesesese hey West, you must be -"

"Shut up."

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><p><em><strong>Now, I can never tell if this lyric is "And you carry little peace with you" or "And you carry a little piece with you." So, this chapter could really go either way haha.<strong>_


	3. The Walk

_We were holding hands walking through the middle of the street…_

No volume of radio music could drown out the Italian babbling coming from the passenger's seat of Ludwig's car as he drove Feliciano home.

"And right there is where I got stung by a bee while smelling some roses! And right there is where Romano accidentally tripped me when I was singing him the song I'd just learned! I think I can still remember it, actually. Do you want to hear it, Doitsu? Let me see, what were the first words – " Feliciano got cut off by a large clunking sound. "Ah! What was that?"

"Aw, scheiße!" Ludwig pulled over and slammed his hand against the steering wheel in frustration. "We got a flat tire! It's way too late to call someone to tow it now, and my bruder is probably inebriated into oblivion by now…"

"~Ve, it's okay, Doitsu! We're close enough, I could walk and be at my house in ten minutes! No problem!" Ludwig looked at the squinting Italian grin next to him and agreed with a sigh.

"Fine," he said, "you can go ahead and get out here. I assume you know the way?" The smile disappeared and was replaced by two large brown eyes and a small pout.

"D-Doitsu's not coming with me? B-but who's going to keep me safe? I know how to get there, but it's so much scarier at night! What if a big scary animal jumps out of a tree at me? What if some stranger tries talking to me? What if I fall and hurt myself? What if – "

"Okay! Okay, I'll go with you. I guess I'll find a motel or something and get the car towed in the morning."

"Motel? ~Ve, you know you're welcome to stay with me!" While stepping out of the car and onto the empty street, Ludwig considered this option. Spending the night at Italy's house? Even if he slept in the guest bedroom, he knew Feliciano would find a way into his bed. This would just make Romano hate him even more. Still, it would save him some money. And, though he'd never admit it, Ludwig loved spending time at Italy's home. Something about the culture and air of the place sparked some sort of pleasant memory in the back of his mind.

"I suppose I could –"

"Yay! Spain ni-chan is staying in the guest room right now, but that's okay! You can stay in my room!" Strangely enough, Ludwig didn't feel upset by the fact that he'd be sharing a room with this clingy loudmouth. Just as he began contemplating the unusualness of this thought, he suddenly felt a small hand in his. He looked to his right and saw Feliciano swinging his arm back and forth and humming himself as they walked down the road to his house.

They didn't speak a word to each other the whole way there, but they didn't need to. The sound of their footsteps and a quiet melody was enough.


	4. The View

_It's fine with me. I'm just taking in the scenery…_

Although he'd never admit it, Ludwig just loved traveling around Italy (especially with Feliciano as his tour guide). Something about the rich culture and the lively people always bustling around the streets and shops was just mesmerizing to him. As they strolled around the area and heard the local vendors calling out sales pitches, Feliciano rambled on and on about the best gelato and clothing shops in town. Suddenly, Ludwig felt his right arm being pulled forward and his body practically being dragged behind the tiny Italian in front of him.

"~Ve, this is my favorite cart!" Italy's voice called out excitedly. Blue eyes glanced up to look at the place to which he had just been hauled. He realized that it was an entire wooden cart filled entirely with bags of different types of pastas. Lasagna, fettuccine, penne, ziti; they had it all. "~Ve, pasta!" Feli said under his breath as he sifted through all of the bags. Ludwig sighed and rolled his eyes at the Italian's typical behavior.

After what seemed like an hour, Feliciano finally picked out a bag of pasta (some tagliatelle for dinner that night) and they continued down the road until they reached the end of town. It wasn't until Feliciano let go to pick a small pink flower by the side of the road that Ludwig even noticed that their hands had been joined this entire time. It had felt so natural that he almost felt relieved when the slender man stood back up and put a tan hand back in his own pale one.

The two continued to walk down a small dirt path that led through the beautiful green hills just outside of town. They reminded Ludwig of something, but he couldn't point out just what that something was. Still, it didn't bother him too much. He was content with just enjoying the pleasant situation he was in right at that moment. He looked across the grass rippling in the breeze and then down at the grinning fool beside him. _Ja_, he thought, _this is nice._


	5. The Attic

_You remind me of a few of my famous friends…_

After walking through the hills, the two men finally made it back to the Italian's house. Upon entering, they encountered Spain and Romano sitting on the living room couch, watching TV.

"_¡Feli, Buenos tardes hermanito! ¿Como fue tu día con tu nov–?_" Antonio's playful greeting was cut short by a swift smack to the back of the head from Romano.

"Chigi, stupid! Don't you even think about referring to that potato bastard as…Ugh, never mind. I can't even say it out loud, I might barf," the older Italian scowled at a very confused Ludwig who obviously didn't speak Spanish and couldn't understand what the big fuss was about. Feliciano giggled as he looked down at his shoes, a light blush spread across his face.

"Ve, it was fun. We brought back some pasta for dinner!" he called as he walked into the kitchen to set the bag of taglieatelle on the counter. Spain was rubbing the back of his head and, just as he was about to speak, a loud thunk was heard upstairs followed by what sounded like scratching sounds. "What was that?" a startled Italy called out upon hearing the unsettling noise.

"Oh, that? _Pues_, it's been happening all day. I think something might be up in the attic" Antonio said very matter-of-factly. "Probably just a rat or something."

"Aww, a little rat? How cute! Maybe we can catch it and keep it as a pet! I'll name him _Contrazione_!" Ludwig cleared his throat as he glanced at the small brunette next to him.

"Italia, I don't think it would be a very good idea to keep a ceiling rat as a pet. Those things are riddled with fleas and there's no telling what kind of diseases it might have. You should probably just set some traps up for it." Feliciano's eyes lost a bit of their shine as this idea crossed his mind.

"T-traps? Doitsu wants to k-kill it?" the man's voice quivered as tears began to well in his eyes. "B-but I don't want to kill it, Doitsu! He didn't do anything to hurt me! Why should I hurt him?" In an attempt to comfort Feliciano and hopefully stop the waterworks that were sure to begin soon, Ludwig made a new suggestion.

"We could just trap it somehow, we don't have to kill it. We could set it free outside so it can find a home somewhere other than your ceiling." Feliciano's eyes immediately lit up at this plan. For the umpteenth time that day, Ludwig found himself being dragged forward at the hands of the small Italian man. Feli pulled the German up the stairs and to the spot where the steps to the attic pulled out from the ceiling.

"~Ve, could you open up the stairs, Doitsu? I'm not tall enough to reach the string. I'll be right back!" Feliciano left Ludwig in the hallway as he ran off to go find a box to use as a trap. The German man sighed and shook his head before he reached up and pulled the string, lowering the staircase that led to the attic. After waiting for a few minutes, and with no sign of the Italian returning anytime soon (most likely because he got sidetracked by some shiny object he uncovered in his search), Ludwig decided to go up to the attic alone.

He coughed as his first steps into the large room released large clouds of dust. He looked around at the large piles of boxes covered in tarps that took up almost every inch of space, save for a few aisles left for one to walk around. Nothing in here looked like it had been touched for years; a thick blanket of dust covered the entire floor. All of it, that is, except for one stretch of floor that appeared to have been swept clean. Intrigued by this cleared path, Ludwig decided to see where it led.

The clean floor led Ludwig to a large, black trunk that looked like someone had cautiously cared for it and kept it looking as new as possible. It appeared to be unlocked, so he opened it to find what looked like some old clothes. He knelt down and pulled out a small green dress with a white apron tied around it. It looked familiar, but he wasn't quite sure from where. He glanced over at the stairs to see if Feliciano was anywhere near, failing to notice the small animal that had just leapt into the trunk. After placing the dress back on top of the unsuspecting creature, something caught Ludwig's eye. There was a strange looking black hat sitting in the trunk on top of a matching black cloak. Curious, he lifted the hat out of the trunk and placed it on top of his head, just to see if it would fit. Just as he found out it did, he heard footsteps.

"~Ve, Doitsu! I found a box we could use to – " Feliciano stopped as he reached the top of the stairs and saw Ludwig kneeling beside his trunk wearing that familiar hat.

"I-Italia! I'm sorry, I was just…I…um, I noticed that this trunk was, uh…I should probably take this off, I'm sorry," was all that the German was able to stammer out as he blushed with embarrassment and began returning the hat to its original place.

"N-no, it's okay, Doitsu," Feliciano said with a small smile, walking forward to his flustered friend. He knelt down beside the man and placed the hat back on his head. "You look just like…" Before the Italian could finish his thought, a rustle came from inside the trunk. "Oh! That must be _Contrazione_! I have the box right here!" Both men looked at the trunk and saw movement underneath the green dress. Slowly, Ludwig reached inside and pulled the garment away. As soon as he did, a brown kitten jumped out of the trunk and into Feliciano's arms. "Kitty! Here you are! He must have followed me up here the other day when I came to…" his voice trailed off when he realized Ludwig was still with him. Petting the kitten, he explained "These were old clothes of mine and…a friend of mine. From when I was young and lived with Austria. I like to look at them to remind me of the fun times I used to have back then. It makes me sad sometimes, because my friend is gone. And I don't think I'll ever see him again. Still, sometimes I like to imagine that he's still here with me."

Not used to this kind of situation, Ludwig smiled softly and placed his hand on his companion's shoulder. "You don't have to be sad, Italia. That was a long time ago, and you're friend's a lot closer than you think. He's still with you in your memories." At this statement, Feliciano grinned madly and launched himself into the broad chest in front of him, still holding the small kitten.

"~Ve, thank you Doitsu! You always make me feel better!" Unable to think of anything else to do, Ludwig wrapped his arms around the new weight on his body. Just then, Romano's voice rolled up the staircase.

"Hey, you potato bastard! What are you doing up there with my brother? Did you catch that rat yet? You've been up there for a long time! You'd better not be doing anything funny up there!"

Feliciano turned around, still in Ludwig's grasp and called back, "~Ve, it wasn't a rat, fratello! It was just Kitty! He got stuck up here the other day when I came to, uh, check on something!"

"Well, whatever it was, make sure it doesn't get up there again! I want to be able to sleep without all that noise from now on! Anyways, come downstairs and help me make dinner! We can use that pasta you just bought!"

"Okay, we'll be right down!" Ludwig realized he was still wearing the hat he found and released his grip on his friend to take it off. The accessory had left his hair a bit ruffled and some of it hung fringed over his forehead. _Wow_, Italy thought staring at the man's face, _he really does look like him._ Shaking his head, Feliciano stood up, smiled, and skipped over to the staircase. "Come on, Doitsu! You can help us make the sauce!" he called, placing the cat on the top step and letting him run downstairs.

"Ja, I'll be right there." Ludwig placed the hat back in the trunk and gave the garments one last look before closing the top. He still couldn't quite put his finger on what the dress reminded him of, but he just ignored the feeling. He stood up, smoothed back his hair as best he could, and joined his comrade as they walked toward the kitchen to make dinner.

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><p><em><strong>Here's part five of my Gerita fanfiction!<strong>_

_**Translation**_  
><em><strong>* <span>¡Feli, Buenos tardes hermanito! ¿Como fue tu día con tu nov–?<span> = Feli! Good afternoon, little brother! How was your day with your boyfr-? (he was trying to say "boyfriend" but then Romano cut him off )**_

_*******Pues**** = Well (this is kind of just a filler word in Spanish like "well" or "umm" or "oh" in English)**_

_*** Contrazione = Twitch ( I dunno, I thought it would be a good name for a rat)**_

_**Wow, this chapter was really long... I wasn't expecting it to be like that! Enjoy! Thanks for reading**_


	6. The Drawing

_Well, that all depends what you qualify as "friends"._

Later that night, after Germany had gone back home, Italy tossed and turned in bed, finding himself unable to sleep. This rarely happened, but when it did, there was always one thing that helped him nod off peacefully. Slowly, he sat up to turn on the lamp beside his bed. He opened the drawer of his bedside table and pulled out his sketchbook and pencil. Flipping open to a clean page, he began to draw.

Gradually, a shape took form on the page. Short hair, a fluffy dress, an apron, and a distinct curl sticking out from the bandana around its head. This figure was soon joined by a second wearing an entirely black outfit, including a cloak and a familiar hat atop its head. The two children were holding hands and standing in a field full of daisies (Italy's favorite flower). The man looked at his creation, deciding something was not right about it. He erased a part of the first figure and changed it so that it was placing a light kiss on the second one's cheek. Now, Feliciano grinned fondly at his work, feeling satisfied with it. Still, as he placed his materials back into the drawer, he felt as though something was missing. After turning off the lamp, Italy lay on his back staring blankly into the darkness, still unable to sleep. He decided that he needed to draw something else.

He turned on the light once again and retrieved his sketching supplies a second time, turning to another clear page. For the second time that night, he began to draw two figures together in a daisy field. However, these two figures were different than the first. They were both sitting down at the base of a tree. Two men, one tall and muscular, one shorter and slender. The arms of the former were wrapped around the latter, who was sitting between his legs, his head resting on a broad shoulder behind him. Italy put down his pencil and examined his latest sketch. A warm smile lit up his face as he admired his work. Feeling much more at peace and ready to sleep, he placed his materials back where they belonged and switched off his lamp.

Lying on his side and looking out his window at the stars sparkling between gray clouds, Feliciano's eyelids grew heavy. Before his consciousness left him, he breathed out "_Buona notte, Shinsei Roma, e buona notte Doitsu._" He was fast asleep before he could see the first few raindrops land on his window.

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><p><em><strong>Chapter six is here! Sorry it took so long, guys. I've been really busy this summer. I was in Italy for a couple of weeks and I've been in a musical that just closed, so now I have a couple weeks to myself before I head off to camp. I'm working on the next chapter and it shall be coming soon! I hope you enjoy this one!<strong>_


	7. The Rain

_Take a chance, take your shoes off, dance in the rain. Yeah, we're splashin' around…_

After the world meeting, everyone poured out of the building, but not as quickly as the rain poured outside. As the nations walked out, their umbrellas went up. Unfortunately (but still not surprisingly), Italy had forgotten his umbrella back at home. His older brother had refused to take pity on him and left with his own umbrella.

"It's your fault you forgot your umbrella, dammit! Mine's not big enough for the both of us and I'm _not_ letting you get the car all wet, so you can just find another way home!" Romano then walked out of the building in a huff. Before the youngest Vargas had time to start panicking, Germany decided to help his friend out.

"Ahem, um, I-Italia? I overheard your conversation with your brother. If you'd like, I could give you a ride home. I left my umbrella in my car, but I don't mind if you get water inside. I always keep spare towels in there, just in case." He couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. This was so unlike him to offer Italy assistance when it wasn't completely necessary. Still, it felt sort of…nice, doing something he didn't have to.

Italy brightened up immediately after hearing Germany's friendly offer. "~Ve, Doitsu! Thank you so much! You're such a good friend!" He leapt onto the taller man and trapped him in a tight hug. "Are you sure you don't mind? I could always just call a taxi."

The blonde man patted his Italian friend on the shoulder reassuringly. "I insist, Italia. Now let's go," he said as he pulled out of the hug to open the door to the street. The two began walking down the sidewalk, collars upturned. "Luckily, I only parked a few blocks away. Sorry to make you walk through this rain."

"It's okay, Doitsu! It's just water. I always loved the rain! Ve, so many fun puddles to jump in!" Italy began running and hopped into a large pool of water that had gathered in a dip on the sidewalk. Germany couldn't help but chuckle a bit to himself as he watched his companion dash from puddle to puddle like a child. Before he knew it, he felt hands grip his wrists and lurch him forward. "Come on, Doitsu! It's fun!"

Germany tried to pull away from the smaller man's (somehow) iron grip. "Italia, that's ridiculous! I am not leaping around in puddles like an infant! There is no need for me to get any more water on me than I already have."

"You don't have to jump! Did you ever learn to waltz?"

"Of course I did. But you're not suggesting that I waltz around with you right here by the side of the road, are you? We'd look ridiculous! Someone might see us." The grip of tan hands suddenly slackened. Chocolate orbs began to glisten with tears.

"Ve, D-Doitsu doesn't want t-to dance with me?" Germany rolled his eyes at his friend and sighed in exasperation. He knew that Italy would cause an even bigger scene by screaming and crying as he usually did. Cerulean eyes scanned the vicinity and found it empty of pedestrians and cars.

"Okay, fine. But just this once. And we'll have to make it quick, I'm afraid to leave Prussia alone for too long." Italy's tears immediately stopped and his eyes gleamed with delight.

"~Ve! Yay, let's dance!" The Italian placed his hand on the strong shoulder in front of him and moved a large hand to his own waist, grabbing a hold of the other and started dancing. Slowly at first, but then faster, the two waltzed around in circles and through the puddles along the sidewalk. After awhile, Germany stopped caring about how much water they were splashing around and how soaked their boots were getting. All he could focus on was the happiness he felt at this moment and that which was reflected in Italy's shimmering eyes. Suddenly he began to smile and pulled the brunette into a spin. The latter, though surprised, spun as he was directed and let out a small giggle.

Italy was abruptly pulled close to his now panting dance partner, their faces just inches from each other. He looked up into the crystal-clear gems above him and saw something he didn't recall ever seeing in them before: joy.

Germany was surprised at his own action, pulling the thin man toward himself and pressing their bodies against each other like this. Still, he didn't object. He actually enjoyed being this close to Italy. It was different than when he was asleep, for right now they could both experience this feeling with full consciousness. He gazed down into the glowing eyes before him and was overcome with a strange, warm feeling throughout his body. This was the closest Germany had ever looked into them and, he had to say, they were breathtaking. All of a sudden, he released his grasp and cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well, I, uh, I think that we should be heading back to the car now. It's, um, starting to get late." He turned and tried to ignore the blush that was creeping up to his cheeks. As he walked swiftly down the block, he felt the now familiar grip of a hand in his own.

"~Ve, okay Doitsu! Wasn't that fun?" The proud German would never admit it out loud, but in his mind, he said "Yes."

_And the news spread all over town…_

Unbeknownst to the two men, Hungary had returned to the conference room to pick up something she had left inside and had been trailing the pair the entire time. Stepping out of the alleyway that had been her temporary hideout, she closed her small video camera with a large grin. "Next stop, Youtube!"

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><p><strong><em>Oh, Hungary! You fangirl you!<em>**

**_Another long chapter for you guys, I hope you enjoy it! Sorry it's taken me so long to update the past couple of chapters. Hopefully it won't take too long! Just a couple more chapters to go. Thanks so much for reading!_**


	8. The Storm

_I'm not complainin' that it's rainin', I'm just sayin' that I'd like it a lot more than you'd think if the sun would come out and sing with me…_

Italy opened his eyes and yawned. Looking through the rain on the car window, he saw the familiar landscape of the German countryside. Confused, he quizzically looked to his friend in the driver's seat. Seeing the movement out of the corner of his eye, Germany glanced at his passenger quickly then returned his eyes to the road.

"Ah, you're awake. You fell asleep and I didn't want to wake you, so I decided that you could just, er, take the guest room at my house." After stretching and rubbing his eyes, Italy sat up and smiled.

"Really, Doitsu? Well, I'll have to let Romano know, he and Spain will be wondering where I am."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about it. I, uh, called and let them know." Actually, Germany had stopped by Italy's house and let Spain know about Italy's overnight plans. Though the Spaniard was happy to hear, Romano had overheard and immediately began chucking tomatoes at his new blonde target. Luckily, the Italian had terrible aim and the red fruit landed all over the front walkway. Germany decided to keep this to himself so as not to alarm his traveling companion.

"~Ve, you did? Thank you so much! You're such a great friend, Doitsu!" Feliciano was about to reach over and hug the German, but (fortunately for the latter) the seat belt lock kicked in and pulled the smaller man back into his seat.

As the two rode in silence, Italy watched two raindrops race on the window. Upon pulling up to Germany's house, he noticed that the rain was pouring down even more heavily than it was when they left the meeting. An umbrella-wielding Germany opened the passenger door and invited Italy to step out of the car. They walked up to the house, feet sloshing as they did so.

"_Bruder_! I'm home!" There was no response to his greeting. _He must be out at the bar._ Expecting a very late arrival from his brother that night, Ludwig hung his umbrella on the rack beside the front door. "I'll take your coat, Italia."

"_Grazie_, Doitsu!" Large hands pulled gently as thin arms slid out of their sleeves. The German placed his own coat and his guest's on the coat rack as well.

The evening progressed and after a dinner prepared by Germany (though Italy kept insisting on making dinner in return for letting him spend the night), the two decided to get ready for bed.

"The guest room should be ready for you. You know where everything is. Gute nacht, Italia" the larger male said as they walked up the stairs.

"~_Ve, grazie ancora_, Doitsu! _Buona notte_!" the jovial brunette bounced off to his room. Germany sighed as he walked to his own quarters to change into his nightclothes. Outside, the wind howled through the trees and threw thick sheets of rain onto the side of the house.

After undressing to his boxers and tank top, the blonde man walked down the hall to the bathroom. While rinsing his face in the sink, he heard a loud boom of thunder outside. Though it startled him a bit, he thought nothing of it until he heard a shriek come from the guest room. Quickly wiping his face with a towel, Ludwig swiftly moved to check on his friend.

"Italia? Are you okay?" He switched on the light in the guest room, but saw no one there. He figured Italy must have been in the bathroom as well. Still feeling a bit uneasy, he walked back to his room only to find a quivering shape under the covers of his bed. "Italia, there you are."

"Vee, D-Doitsu? Is th-that you?" said the shaking, amorphous blob of sheets.

"Who else would it be?" A small head popped out from underneath the covers as Germany sat down on the mattress. "What happened? I heard a scream. Did you hurt yourself?"

"N-no. I j-just…the th-thunder was…" Italy's words were cut off by another wall-shaking boom outside. "Ah!" he cried out ducking back under the comforter and into the large arms in front of him.

Ludwig, a bit surprised at the new weight suddenly forced onto his person. Understanding the situation, he wrapped his arms around the shrouded Italy quivering against him.

"Don't worry, Italia. It's just thunder. It's not going to hurt you."

"B-but…it's still so scary. C-can I sleep here with y-you tonight, Doitsu? _Per favore_?" Two glistening caramel eyes peeked out from a space in the sheets. Seeing how terrified the poor man was, Germany couldn't possibly refuse his friend some company.

"Of course, Italia." He joined his companion under the covers and felt soft, auburn hair snuggle against the crook of his neck.

"_Mille grazie_! I've never liked thunder storms. When I was little, I would always be afraid of them. Austria would always get upset at me when I woke him up in the middle of the night because of a storm. But Shins-" he stopped himself "Um, but my _friend_ would always make me feel better. He would let me sleep in his bed. He knew I didn't like being alone at night." A rush of warm air escaped onto Ludwig's neck as Feliciano sighed. _It's funny_, he thought_, I don't miss him right now, even though I should. It feels like he's right here with me._ _Maybe…_ His thoughts were once again interrupted by a crash that rattled the windows and made the floor tremble.

Ludwig wrapped his arms around Feliciano, who had now huddled himself up beside his muscular figure. "You're okay, Italia. I've got you" he murmured drowsily as he drifted off to sleep.

Italy suddenly found himself totally at ease in Germany's grasp. A small grin spread across his face as he breathed out "_Grazie ancora_, Doitsu." The instant before he slipped into unconsciousness, two barely audible words left his lips. "_Ti amo._"

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><p><strong>FINALLY I got the next chapter up! Sorry about the long wait, everyone. I got major writers block with this one and, what with school starting and everything, it was hard to find time to work on it. OTL<strong>

**Anywhoobers, I hope you like it!**

**_TRANSLATIONS_**

***_Bruder*_ Brother**

**_*(Mille) Grazie (Ancora)*_ Thank you (very much) (again)**

**_*Per Favore*_ Please**

**_*Ti Amo*_ I love you**


End file.
